1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for providing route information to drivers of motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an article which may be attached to the interior of a vehicle and provide visual route information to the driver.
2. Description of Background Art
The high average speeds and/or heavy traffic on our nation's roads demand the undivided attention of the motorist, to minimize the possibility of being involved in an accident. Also, motorists frequently travel to new destinations over unfamiliar routes, for business or non-business purposes. A map is often used to provide the required route information. However, the large amount of extraneous information on a map, combined with its frequently cumbersome size, make its use by the driver of a moving vehicle generally unsafe.
Various alternatives to the use of a map for providing route information have been proposed. Typically, such prior art devices include means for attachment to a vehicle in a position viewable by the driver, and employ a data sheet containing route information. One class of prior art devices uses a data sheet in the form of a scroll advancable from one member to another within a housing. Typical of these devices are those disclosed in the following U.S. Patents: Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,207, Apr. 23, 1929, Directory for Drivers, Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 1,844,542, Feb. 9, 1932, Directory for Drivers, and Dull, U.S. Pat. No. 2,021,934, Nov. 26, 1935, Highway Director.
Another class of route guides for motor vehicles uses a data sheet which fastens to the outer cylindrical surface of a roller contained within a larger diameter, cylindrical housing. One such device is disclosed in Guess, U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,563, Apr. 1, 1958, Rotary Data Log. A device for providing data to shoppers is disclosed in Couch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,953, May 10, 1977, Shopping Cart Display Guide Selector.
The present invention was conceived of in response to a perceived need for an alternative device to provide route information to the driver of a motor vehicle.